2007年VOA标准英语-Voters Disappointed in Sierra Leone Candidates'

By Kari Barber
Freetown
06 September 2007

The two candidates vying¹ for the presidency² in Sierra Leone's runoff on Saturday did not take part in a joint³ peace march as they said they would. The march, ordered by President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, was supposed to be a symbol of the nation's unity⁴ and commitment against violence, following a pre-runoff period that saw clashes between the rival parties. Kari Barber has more for VOA from Freetown.

Police vehicle parades through Freetown in a peace rally, 01 Sep 2007

Dozens of vehicles filled with police, security personnel and civil society activists⁵ paraded through Freetown. They passed the headquarters of candidate Ernest Koroma's All People's Congress and that of Vice⁶ President Berewa's Sierra Leone People's Party.

But the candidates, for whom the march was arranged, were not present. Berewa did show up at the start, but was not part of the procession.

SLPP communications officer Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie says his party is disappointed that the rally, in which the two candidates were supposed to ride in a car together, did not happen as planned.

SLPP supporter cheers as peace march passes by party headquarters in Freetown, 01 Sep 2007

"To all of us it is a disappointment. It is a disappointment to the Sierra Leone People's Party, it is a disappointment to the Sierra Leone people," he said. "That move today would have ushered⁷ in a new era, an era where our party leaders come together and condemn⁸ violence and show it. Today should have been the show."

APC's Koroma announced he would boycott⁹ the peace rally because of what he says were violent acts against members of his party and a planned attack against himself by SLPP supporters.

APC member Philip Conteh leads party supporters in a cheer, Freetown, 01 Sep 2007

Philip Conteh of the APC explains his party leader's decision.

"A week ago there was a very serious attack on the leadership and by now we should have expected a statement from the police on what they are going to do about that. There are so many other things that these people [SLPP] should have addressed, but failed to address," he said.

Conteh says the party does not believe the SLPP has met the conditions of the peace pact¹⁰ to correct the issues that led to the recent violent outbreaks between the parties, including what APC officials believe was an ambush¹¹ planned against Koroma when he was traveling to the east to campaign.

Conteh says Koroma does want to bring peace to the war-ravaged country, but he does not think the SLPP's intentions are sincere.

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APC followers say they support their candidate's decision not to take part in the joint peace rally

"He is talking about objective peace. A peace that everybody means. Not a peace that you are giving peace in one hand and using a gun in the other hand," he added.

Civil society leaders say they are disappointed in the joint rally, which they say could have been a symbol that the country has moved forward from its violent past and the brutal¹³ civil war that ended five years ago, did not take place.

The two candidates had signed an agreement to hold the joint peace march after meeting with President Kabbah on Saturday and Sunday.

Neither candidate won the 55 percent of the vote needed to be elected in the first round.

1 vying   

adj.竞争的；比赛的

参考例句：

• California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
• Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。

2 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

5 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

7 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

9 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

10 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

11 ambush   

n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击

参考例句：

• Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。
• Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。

12 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

13 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。